If communication devices are intended to be operated in a network, they must first of all be configured after being switched on, that is to say, for example, the software, in particular also software for the operating system, must be adapted to the requirements of the network and/or to those of the user by selecting the suitable software components. This configuration concerns parts of the operating system, for example which IP addresses are used, where these addresses are obtained from, or which DNS (Domain Name Service) is used. Applications, for example programs or applications, on the device, in particular the terminal, for example PCs, PDAs, smartphones etc., also generally require a configuration.
Different configuration possibilities are customary and are used individually or alongside one another. These are, in particular, a configuration locally present in the terminal, an automatic configuration in which configuration data are generated by means of an algorithm, or the loading of one or more configurations from remote servers.
If a communication device is now operated in a network, an important aspect is to limit the access possibilities of the communication device in the network in order to ensure the security of the network.